empty
30.04.2025 12:43 AM
NZD/USD: Bullish Prospects Amid Uncertainty

Although the past week was completely uninformative regarding fundamental indicators, it allowed adjustments to forecasts on economic growth, inflation, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's policy strategy based on new data.

ANZ Bank revised its inflation forecast. Earlier, it had downgraded its projections for GDP growth, the labor market, and housing prices—each of which alone would be sufficient to expect a more aggressive rate-cutting stance from the RBNZ. On inflation, ANZ maintains a firm position that inflation is virtually under control—despite it having risen in Q1 from 2.2% to 2.5% year-over-year, the highest level since June last year. While claiming that inflation is decelerating, ANZ analysts offer numerous well-founded arguments, which we'll take at face value for now.

This image is no longer relevant

According to ANZ, overall inflation will slow to about 1.7% by mid-2026 and rise to 2% by 2027. While such long-range forecasting may seem somewhat naive in today's uncertain environment, the more important takeaway is that projections for GDP, labor, and inflation allow us to forecast the RBNZ's interest rate decisions. Such projections, in turn, shape future yields—and, therefore, the exchange rate.

The trend suggests a faster pace of rate cuts here. Currently, markets expect rates to be lowered to 2.5%, but some are already suggesting the terminal rate may go even lower—to around 2%—especially if the threat of a recession resurfaces alongside disinflation.

BNZ Bank, on the other hand, holds an entirely different view and warns that "inflation is neither dead nor buried. It is already trending upward in annual terms, and early signs indicate inflation expectations—especially among households—are rising (from 4.2% to 4.7%)." The bank cautions the RBNZ against cutting rates too quickly.

All this points to a backdrop of confusion, volatility, and uncertainty. In such a tense environment, it is better to rely on actual capital flows, yields, and futures market positioning, as these reflect the real intentions of major players.

The net short position on NZD narrowed by $346 million last week, bringing the total to—$1.6 billion, the smallest short position since early December last year. The Kiwi remains in negative territory—where it fell immediately after Trump's election as U.S. president—but since February, the trend has shifted in favor of the New Zealand dollar. Its fair value remains above the long-term average, with no signs of a reversal to the downside for now.

This image is no longer relevant

Last week, the NZD/USD pair reached strong resistance at 0.6030 but failed to break through on the first attempt. The likelihood of a pullback has increased, with immediate support seen at 0.5896. However, if Friday's U.S. labor market report indicates economic resilience, the pair could fall further—into the 0.5815/50 range. For now, there is little justification for a full-fledged reversal to the downside; the expected decline is viewed as a correction, and a renewed rally is anticipated, with another attempt to gain a foothold above 0.6030.

If successful, there will be no strong technical resistance levels until the local high of 0.6362 (from September 30). However, political uncertainty is unlikely to support such a strong advance.

Kuvat Raharjo,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

Gold Rebounds as Fiscal Risks Resurface

Gold is swinging between extremes as spring draws to a close. The week ending May 16 was the worst for the precious metal due to optimism that, following a trade

Marek Petkovich 17:31 2025-05-23 UTC+2

AUD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

Today, the AUD/JPY pair has started to attract buying interest, halting its pullback from the monthly high as demand for the Australian dollar emerges. Today's talks between U.S. Deputy Secretary

Irina Yanina 17:25 2025-05-23 UTC+2

USD/CAD. Analysis and Forecast

The pair is trending lower, dropping close to the key psychological level of 1.3800 amid broad-based U.S. dollar weakness. Traders have raised their expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts following

Irina Yanina 16:43 2025-05-23 UTC+2

USD declares war on EUR

What's new is often just what's been forgotten. As spring draws to a close, the long-dismissed mantra "sell America" is making a comeback in markets. The phrase gained traction following

Marek Petkovich 14:59 2025-05-23 UTC+2

USD/JPY: what happens with yen?

The USD/JPY pair is experiencing heightened price turbulence. At the end of April, the pair sharply declined, hitting a 7-month low at 139.90. Then, last week, a northbound impulse pushed

Irina Manzenko 13:52 2025-05-23 UTC+2

Market Chaos to Continue (There is a likelihood of continued local declines in #USDX and gold prices)

Markets continue to act blindly amid the chaotic actions of Donald Trump, who is trying to pull the U.S. out of a deep, all-encompassing crisis like Baron Munchausen pulling himself

Pati Gani 10:19 2025-05-23 UTC+2

The Market Tucks Its Tail

A necessary project at the wrong time. The House of Representatives has approved Donald Trump's tax cut initiative. The President hopes it will help stimulate the economy and offset shortcomings

Marek Petkovich 09:29 2025-05-23 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – May 23: No Talks, but Hang in There

On Thursday, the GBP/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly, but like EUR/USD, it has been rising for two weeks. At first glance, one might wonder what reasons traders have

Paolo Greco 08:15 2025-05-23 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – May 23: The Rebellion Against the Dollar Continues

The EUR/USD currency pair traded relatively calmly on Thursday, yet it has risen significantly over the past two weeks. This movement can be interpreted in several ways. From a technical

Paolo Greco 08:15 2025-05-23 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on May 23? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

Very few macroeconomic reports are scheduled for Friday. Only two are noteworthy: the final estimate of Germany's Q1 GDP and April's UK retail sales data. The German GDP report

Paolo Greco 05:58 2025-05-23 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.